August is coming to a close and September is right around the corner — and with it, cooler temps, college football, a new slate of TV shows and a three-day weekend. But before we look ahead to all the fall has to offer, let’s review what went on this week.
The nation’s eyes were on Chicago after President Donald Trump announced he was considering sending the National Guard to the city to help fight crime. Local Democratic leaders, including Gov. JB Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and several congressmen, spoke out against the proposed move, calling it “unconstitutional” and a federal overreach.
The Trump administration is also preparing for an immigration crackdown in Chicago as soon as next week, with the Department of Homeland Security requesting the Naval Station Great Lakes for support. Even so, organizers for Pilsen’s upcoming Mexican Independence Day Parade said Thursday the celebration will proceed as planned.
Also on Thursday, the Board of Education approved Chicago Public Schools’ 2025-2026 budget, rejecting the mayor’s efforts to get the district to take out a $200 million high-interest loan. One of the many cuts CPS had to make to balance the budget was to school custodians. More than 1,200 privatized custodians were laid off by the district at the beginning of the month — and some spoke to the Tribune this week about losing their jobs.
But it’s not just CPS making cuts. The University of Chicago announced Thursday they will slash $100 million in spending to help plug their mounting budget deficit.
Beyond Chicago, a shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school Wednesday killed two children and wounded 18 others in what is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism. A controversial immigration detention facility in Florida known as “Alligator Alcatraz” will be empty soon after a federal judge ordered that it wind down its operations. And Pope Leo XIV called on Israel to stop its “collective punishment” of Palestinians in Gaza, days after Israeli airstrikes on Nasser Hospital killed 22 people, including first responders, a freelance photographer for The Associated Press and four other journalists.
There was a shakeup at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week. Susan Monarez was ousted as CDC director less than a month after she was sworn in, and other high-profile agency leaders resigned. As Monarez fights to keep her job, Jim O’Neill, a top adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been tapped serve as the CDC’s acting director. In a similar effort, the president said he’s firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, but she’s filed a lawsuit seeking to block Trump’s actions.
Plus, Chicago’s favorite pharmacy chain, Walgreens, is officially a private company after its sale to private equity firm Sycamore Partners was finalized Thursday.
In the world of sports, the Chicago Cubs and White Sox 2026 schedules were released this week, the AVP League Championships take place at Oak Street Beach this weekend and college football season is upon us.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears are gearing up for the start of their season. On Tuesday, general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson finalized their initial 53-man roster, and the team had their last practice of training camp Wednesday at Halas Hall. Now the attention turns toward preparing for the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings next Monday at Soldier Field.
Looking for something to occupy your time over the Labor Day weekend? Bike the Drive, catch the Lumineers at Soldier Field or stay in and listen to Chance the Rapper’s new album “Star Line.”
Without further ado, here’s the Tribune’s Quotes of the Week quiz for Aug. 24 to 30. Want more quotes? You can find last week’s quiz here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.
